ptdockyard Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Here is a picture of Derna harbor showing German S-boats camouflaged with sheets In the lower right we can see at least one small patrol boat with a gun platform forward of the bridge Does anyone have any further information on what this craft is? I assume it is an Italian patrol craft of some kind. Dave G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
de domenico Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Well, Dave, the 3. S-Bootflottille (S 30, 36, 54 to 60) was only based in Derna for a relatively short period, from 27 May 1942 (coming in from Augusta) to 4 July 1942 (on to Marsa Matruk) (see Gerhard Huemmelchen, "Die deutschen Schnellboote im zweiten Weltkrieg", Mittler, 1996). The patrol boat you're looking for could be an AS boat, i.e. an auxiliary warship. I gather that the 13° Gruppo AntiSom based in Benghazi at 31 Oct. 1942 was made up with AS 7, 57, 82, 89, 90, 93, 111, 118 and 120 (Erminio Bagnasco and Franco Bargoni, "Cacciasommergibili", in "Storia Militare" n. 192, Sept. 2009). AS 7 COTUGNO was a former Regia Guardia di Finanza motovedetta of 61 tons, which could fit what little can be seen of your patrol boat. That's just a suggestion, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
de domenico Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 A couple of pictures of RGdF Motovedette used as AS. "Storia Militare", settembre 2009, Albertelli Edizioni Speciali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptdockyard Posted October 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Thanks! :s20: Here is a boat that looks like it has similar lines, especially the very pointed bow-- the AS20 Lombardi Was she in the area possibly? Did she have any sister ships? Dave G The PT Dockyard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
de domenico Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 AS 20 LOMBARDI had one sistership, AS 19 MANCA, but both were deployed in the Aegean (11° Gruppo Antisom, Piraeus), not North Africa. See here: http://www.gdf.it/GdF/it/Specializzazioni/...fo78567326.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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